Tag Archives: Oak Cliff

Meet Jon Stevens From The Newly Opened Stock And Barrel in Bishop Arts

SONY DSCby Steven Doyle  photos by Joy Zhang

Jon Stevens is the crazy good chef that has more than proven his stock in the Dallas food scene, and beyond. He recently opened his first restaurant in the Bishop Arts District, Stock and Barrel.

Stevens is originally from the San Francisco area, one of the great food cities in the United States and was mostly self-taught. The chef starting cooking at the age of 19 with his uncle who was also in the business. It was this uncle that gave Stevens the advice to pass on formal training as the city was bursting with great culinary experiences and the best way to learn was to do.

The young chef sat at the stoop of great culinary masters such as Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco’s Jardiniere. He also worked at Mecca and French regional Flytrap before landing at the Ritz Carlton where he worked up to a sous position just years later. It was then that Stevens found himself in Dallas as sous for the wildly understated but powerful talent, Chris Ward at the Mercury where he worked for a few years before hopping the fast moving Kent Rathbun train cheffing at Abacus, then opening Jaspers in 2003. It was there Stevens finally opened as chef at Aurora for Avner Samuels working for 2 years.

Stevens found himself missing California and moved back to work at the beautifully frenetic Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley just North of San Francisco where he stayed for 4 years honing his craft. But made his way back to Dallas where he opened at Neighborhood Services.   Continue reading →

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Eat Me: Bolsa’s Baby Artichoke & Goat Cheese Gnocchi

DSC01086by Steven Doyle

It is almost that time of year when we all think of bikini’s, beach and sun. The weather is starting to be a more consistent breeze with a splash fun, and many are turning to lighter fare. Most restaurants now have at least a vegetarian option, and almost all can do a vegan plate of some sort. The truly interesting restaurants can make either of these options a delight even for the most committed omnivore. Bolsa succeeds at the latter.

Look no further than the Baby Artichoke & Goat Cheese Gnocchi which is served with heirloom tomatoes, spinach and a  tomato-mint sauce. This dish is amazingly light and refreshing – and addictive. Pair this with one of their wonderful signature cocktails, and you will have a meal that transcends nature itself.    Continue reading →

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Eat Me: Cuban Burger at 303 Grill in Oak Cliff

burger 303by Steven Doyle

It seems every time I go to 303 Grill in Oak Cliff they have a new burger waiting for me to try. They sincerely go out of their way to discover new burger craziness that performs as a symphony in your mouth. The latest burger is no exception. Behold: the Cuban Burger.

Think kicked up Cuban sandwich with burger fixings, that just happened to get lost in a bacon factory. The Cuban Burger is a typical 303 burger with slices of ham and a bacon cup filled with pulled pork. Bacon cup. Filled with pulled pork. And of course there is always a side of those hand cut fries.   Continue reading →

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Chef Andrew Bell Does A Menu Reset At Bolsa

pink green garnishby Steven Doyle

Chef Andrew Bell has been with Bolsa for just over a year, and more recently took over the iconic Oak Cliff kitchen as executive chef. It wasn’t until just a few weeks ago that Bell re-engineered the menu to be largely his. The menu reads exciting, and translates extremely well to the plate. We went in last night to check out the new menu, and was blown away with the many changes. Bell has settled well into the Bolsa kitchen and says, “ I took the time to acclimate myself with the kitchen and the staff of the restaurant and patiently waited for spring ingredients to show up. We will continue to find the best ingredients from local farmers, treat them with respect and cook them for the customers that know and love Bolsa.”

Andrew Bell began his career in the restaurant industry during high school and since then has worked in some of the most respected kitchens in both Dallas and Austin, making his cuisine decidedly Texan.  From Wink and Uchi in Austin, to Parigi, Citizen, Mercury, Nosh Euro Bistro, Aurora and most recently The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Bell says, “I have been waiting for an opportunity such as this for a long time and have tremendous respect for the restaurant, the partners, the staff and the philosophy they stand for as well as working with the local farmers– I feel at home here at Bolsa.”

From the tastes of the new menu it is obvious that Bell has captured the spirit and history of Bolsa, and plays well within this striking version of farm-to-table mentality that has been a proven asset for Bolsa.   Continue reading →

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Justin Holt Leaves Driftwood, Final Bowl of Ramen Served – For Now

DSC00925by Steven Doyle

We all love secret things. Just about every fast food menu has a secret sibling you can order from if you know the secret handshake. At one of the best seafood restaurants in Dallas there was a secret menu item if you knew how to go about ordering. Driftwood featured a bowl of ramen on certain days, and only at the bar. But don’t fret, the ramen has left the building. This was the special ramen made famous by local sous chef Justin Holt.

You recall the clandestine ramen nights at various Oak Cliff bars. Those nights went away when Holt took a position at Driftwood, and he began serving the soup as a special. The only problem is Holt’s last evening at Driftwood was Saturday, and I ordered the final bowl.   Continue reading →

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Chef Andrew Bell Intros New Menu At Bolsa

andrew-bellby Steven Doyle   photos by Elliott Munoz

I love a change of seasons. This almost always calls for new menus using seasonal ingredients, especially at a restaurant such as Bolsa located in Oak Cliff. This is the case today as chef Andrew Bell sends word that he has something new in mind for his diners.

After taking charge of the kitchen several months ago, chef Bell has created a menu that is finally his own.  Co-owner Chris Zielke explains, “We wanted Andrew to take his time on creating this new ‘core’ Bolsa menu and took the new spring season as a jumping off point to implement it.  The new menu is simply spectacular and these are some of the best dishes I have ever seen come out of our kitchen.”

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Zielke And Jeffers To Bartend At Outpost Tonight

cocktailby Steven Doyle

Each week Outpost Dallas has been hosting local celebrity bartenders to run the bar for a few hours on Wednesday’s. The deal is that these celeb types bring in their crowd and donate proceeds to their charity of choice. There have been some entertaining bartenders since they began the program. I was the first to be behind the stick, and it can be un-nerving if you haven’t bartended in some years. This will be the case this Wednesday (tonight) as owners Chris Zielke and Chris Jeffers (the same lads who own Bolsa, Smoke, Chicken Scratch and the rest) get behind the bar after so many years of simply managing their empire. Zielke started at Bennigans and Jeffers started with Uncle Julios.

Yes, Chris and Chris started their careers as bartenders.    Continue reading →

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Local Oak For Plenty Of Bacon and A Side Of Tito

DSC09905by Steven Doyle

I stopped by Local Oak this week for a small bite and a few libations and was pleased to see the owners scurrying about.  I am talking Felix Garcia, Paul Delgado and Alycen Cuellar. These are first time restaurateurs, but you probably spotted a familiar name in the bunch. Cuellar is one of ‘those’ Cuellars. You know, from the multi-million dollar El Chico empire that started as a small tamale stand t an east Texas county fair back in 1926. But don’t let this fact detract from the fact that Local Oak is sturdy all on its own, and with only a whiff of Tex Mex to be found on the menu.

The menu is almost difficult to describe. There is a really good burger, a Cobb salad, Frito pie, and green chile chicken enchiladas to choose from. Actually, the menu is quite short, but that is changing very soon with the addition of at least five new items being added next week. We will most likely want to revisit once that good news has been announced.  Continue reading →

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